


Genyatta Week Drabbles

by wherenonagoes



Series: The Neighborhood Watch [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Suburbia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 05:44:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9221600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wherenonagoes/pseuds/wherenonagoes
Summary: These were the pieces I wrote and posted on my tumblr for Genyatta week! I hope you enjoy them!





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This all takes place in the same universe as my ongoing fic that is supposed to be the backbone. I haven't gotten very far and some of these drabbles take place outside of the plot for the other fic. I also haven't done heavy editing on them, since I wrote them and posted them on the same day during Genyatta week.

Genji leaned back in his hair, looking at the screen projected in front of him. He shifted his torso, trying to get comfortable, trying to move to nothing was pinching his skin, so his limbs were comfortable enough. He wouldn’t be able to move to his bed until later that night when Hanzo got home from his summer classes; he hated depending on others, but his prosthetics were in for adjustments. Why did he have to be going through a growth spurt now, of all times? He scratched his chest with his right hand, the only appendage he was able to keep while his other arm and legs were adjusted.  He wished something more interesting would happen other than the metal pinching the edges of where his real arm was. 

“You have one new message.” The notification in English still surprised him. It was weird, to be living in America now, but he did feel better, like he could actually overcome what had happened. He shook his head and chirped back  at the screen in Japanese, telling the computer to open it and it clicked through his inbox until it showed the new message. Genji had been checking his inbox every couple hours, making sure he didn’t get a message from the organization his mother had recommended. Getting a pen pal that had been through a similar situation would be hard, but Genji didn’t have a better idea of how to pass the time other than to talk to someone. 

The message in his inbox was from the organization, they’d found someone to partner him with, and he was scared to look at the rest of the message. He’d given them a picture and his disability, which was what the organization was all about, helping teens and young adults find people with similar disabilities and having someone to talk to. The possibility of someone having lost parts of all of their limbs was slight, he knew that, and it made him nervous to see who they’d paired him with. He bade the computer scroll to see the rest of the message and took in the picture of the boy he’d been paired with. 

The picture showed a smiling boy with dark skin, burn scars covering his body. He sat in a wheelchair where he had two gaps where his legs would have been. Genji swallowed before reading his disability. Other than losing both of his legs when he was young, he also needed hearing aids, though Genji couldn’t see them in the picture. The rest of the message told him that his information had been sent to Tekhartha Zenyatta and that the two of them were able to converse with each other through whatever medium they were both comfortable with. Genji looked back to the photo and took in his smile. He wondered how long it had been since he’d been injured, to be that happy while missing limbs, well, Genji didn’t know what that felt like, but it was something he wanted. 

Before Genji could begin to draft an email to his new pen pal, his computer alerted him again to a new message in his inbox; he stopped what he was doing to see that it was from an unfamiliar sender. He opened it and smiled. It seemed as though his new pen pal had messaged him first. 

 

“Dear Shimada Genji, 

 

I am Tekhartha Zenyatta from Nepal, but you may call me Zenyatta or Zen, and I was alerted that we are to be pen pals through the Bridging Gaps organization. I’m happy to meet you, and to get what you’re most likely thinking to ask out of the way, I will tell you how I lost my legs. The monastery that I was being raised in when I was a young boy was set on fire by some arsonists, and I was deeper in the building than my other siblings and did not escape unscathed. The heat and the destruction damaged my ears as well, and so I use hearing aids, though I prefer to use sign language. 

 

In your description you mentioned living in Japan and in the United States. I wish to someday visit both. If you are not comfortable with sharing how you gained your disability, do not feel obligated to share it with me, I am just happy to find someone who I can talk to who understands the struggles of losing limbs at a young age.

 

Sincerely, 

Zenyatta.”

 

Genji read over the email a few times, smiling more and more as he did, and then went back to look at the picture of his new pen pal. Zenyatta seemed nice, seemed excited about this whole process, and that made him feel a bit better. He told the computer to open a new message to reply, and it opened up and waited for him to speak. 

 

“Dear Zenyatta,

 

You can call me Genji, and I’m from Japan, and recently moved to the United States. It’s complicated how I lost my limbs, but it happened over a year ago, and I’m still adjusting. I don’t have any hands or feet of my own, so I use speech to text software when I don’t have my prosthetics, like now. They’re all in to be adjusted since I’ve grown too much already. 

 

Living in the United States is weird, I’ve never spoken or heard this much English before, and some of the people here speak so fast it’s hard to understand them. My mother suggested I try to do more of my messages and communications in English to get ready for school in the fall, but I don’t think that will help with trying to hear everything. But I’m happy to have a new pen pal too, I didn’t know how this would work out, but I’m glad I can talk to you too.

 

If you have Skype or something, you can add me. My username is ‘cyborgninja2.’

 

Genji”

 

Genji sent the email before checking for spelling, it was hard enough to to speak in English in his own bedroom, he didn’t want to know if anything he’d said had been butched by his accent. He’d never been to Nepal, he’d never been to a lot of places, but he couldn’t help but wonder what it must be like there. He didn’t get too long to think about it, because he got a friend request through skype from user ‘exptranquility’ saying it was Zenyatta. Genji found himself smiling and accepted, opening up a conversation with him and sending the first message. 

 

Genji woke up early that morning, taking the time to put on the prosthetics that had just come back from being adjusted again, starting with his left arm then moving to his legs. He took a hesitant step out of bed and nodded, everything was fine. He got dressed, taking special care that looked appropriate, he didn’t want to scare Zen off his first time in the United States. They’d been talking for over two years now, and his mother had brought up the idea of an exchange, or more Zenyatta coming and spending a year with them and going to school with Genji. The idea had been the best thing for his mood. Ever since he started talking to the other boy, he knew he’d been happier, and his mother and brother saw that too. 

Genji, once satisfied with his outfit of a neon green sweatshirt with his last name in kanji down the chest, left his room for the kitchen. The Shimada house in Vista de Onda had been there for close to a century, since part of the family had wanted to spread business there, but now the house was used as a refuge for Genji after his accident, with his brother and mother following him as well. The aesthetic of the house stood out from the rest of the neighborhood, looking almost decidedly foreign to the Americans who shared their street, but normal, and comfortable to him. He’d never thought about it much until meeting some of the neighbors later on during his first summer there, specifically Jesse McCree, who had wanted to join them in their jaunt to the airport but had work. 

Hanzo sat by the counter, reading from his tablet as he drank his tea, his breakfast plate already empty. Genji rolled his right shoulder and pressed into his left before looking to see if anything had been made for him. He took a plate out of the cabinet and filled it with the rest of the eggs and sausage Hanzo had made.

“Where’s mom?” It felt odd to speak in English in his own home, but they’d been in America two years now and he knew it would be good to practise, especially since Zen’s knowledge of Japanese was elementary at best. Genji sat down next to his brother, trying not to shovel his food into his face. He was too excited about seeing Zen for the first time, they’d talked so much over the internet that it felt strange to not have given him a hug in person. 

“She left early for work today. It seems somebody had an early appraisal at the shop, so I’m taking you to the airport.” Hanzo didn’t look up from his tablet, reading through whatever article he happened to be interested in. Genji nodded and finished his meal, placing his plate and Hanzo’s not the sink before grabbing the carton of orange juice in the fridge and taking a few gulps from the container. 

“You’ve picked up bad habits from that American.” Hanzo watched Genji, disgusted. Genji just laughed and put the carton back in the fridge, wiping his face before nodding. Hanzo rolled his eyes and locked the tablet before grabbing his coat and their mother’s keys by the door.

“You’re the one dating him. Have you even told mom yet? Has he told Mr Reyes?” Genji walked out of the house first, squinting at the bright light. Hanzo unlocked the van their mother used to transport Genji when his prosthetics were out. There was more than enough room for a wheelchair in the back, and Genji knew Zen hadn’t been able to get his own prosthetics upgraded before he left Nepal. The two of them took the front seats and Hanzo started the car, pulling out of the driveway and headed down towards the airport. 

“No, I haven’t told her. I feel while Mr Reyes is in the hospital that it is not a good time to talk about such things.”

“But he’s been spending the night like every other day. You’ve literally been sleeping with him.” Genji laughed a bit, but he stopped when Hanzo glared. They both knew Jesse was stressed right now, with Mr Reyes being in the hospital still after his accident. He was supposed to be recovering well, but unable to return home, and Jesse couldn’t handle being alone by himself right now. 

“Genji.”

“It’s true, but whatever. You really should at least tell mom.” The two brothers didn’t speak after that, driving in silence towards the airport. Genji couldn’t sit still, he was too excited to see his best friend for the first time in real life. It almost felt like a dream to him, for this to be happening, his stomach felt knotted and airy at the same time. Hanzo dropped Genji off at the terminal, saying he would loop back around so Zen wouldn’t have to wheel himself anywhere else, and left. Genji took a deep breath and entered the airport, running his metal hand through his pastel green hair. 

The airport wasn’t large, Vista de Onda wasn’t a large place, but Genji was still overwhelmed with emotion. He tried to keep himself from shaking as he looked around, trying to spot the recent arrivals leaving the airport, and that’s when he saw Zen sitting in his chair, chatting and smiling to the stewardess who must have helped him off the plane. 

Zenyatta looked different than the first picture Genji had gotten of him, he looked different from the last time Genji had video chatted with him, but in the end he still looked better, more alive. His smile was genuine, and Genji swore he could hear him laugh, and he had to remind himself he was here to pick him up to go to his house, not just gawk at how beautiful he was in person. He still had his same dark skin, the same burn scars around his neck and arms. Genji shook his head and finally walked forward, nervous about what he could do to mess this entire thing up. 

Zenyatta noticed him approaching and smiled, eyes lighting up like nothing Genji had ever seen before. Genji walked a bit faster to finally get to him and then stopped in front, looking down at him in his chair unaware of what to say or do. It felt odd, to meet each other in person the first time, but having spent night after night, or day after day depending on who you asked, talking about everything imaginable. What were you to say to someone who knew everything about you? 

“Genji, I’m so happy to see you.” Zen held his arms out, and Genji blanked before realizing what he wanted, then leaned down to hug him. He felt warm, like everything else about him, and he didn’t want to let go. 

“I’m happy to see you too. You have a bag in baggage claim, yeah?”

“Yes. Thank you for helping me,” Zen turned to the stewardess after they finished hugging, and then looked to Genji again, his soft brown eyes filled with delight. Genji couldn’t help but smile, his face almost hurting, but it felt nice, his whole body felt like it was exploding from joy, but he still had a job to do. 

“Do you want me to push you?”

“Yes please, I’ve had such a long time traveling.” Zen sighed, and Genji nodded, moving behind him and pushing him forward towards the baggage claim. There weren’t many other people there, so it was easy to spot the large carrier case and the duffel that Zen had brought along. They laid the case along the armrests of the chair, and Genji shouldered the duffel bag as they went outside to find Hanzo. 

The older Shimada drove back around and opened up the side door, lowering the ramp for Zenyatta to get in while taking his belongings and putting them in the back. Genji helped Zenyatta into a chair and then folded his wheelchair to put beside him before taking the other seat in the back of the car. Hanzo closed the doors and drove off. 

The ride back to the house the car was filled with Zenyatta talking about his trip there, about how he’d landed in Hawai’i and spent the night. The people at the airport had been so hospitable, and the climate had been so close to home. He’d been able to sleep adequately before he needed to catch his next flight to San Francisco, which had really been the change. Even though it had been sunny there, the wind off the ocean made it cold, and he barely went outside because of it From there he flew to Vista de Onda, which had only been about an hour, much shorter than the rest of his flights. 

Genji couldn’t stop smiling the entire time, watching Zenyatta as he spoke. When Zen saw him watching he blushed and continued speaking of his trip, looking forward through the front windshield. Genji swallowed before looking away, a bit embarrassed by how he’d stared. But then they got home, and Genji helped Zen out of the car and into the house, Hanzo being kind enough to bring his belongings in as long as Genji showed him to his room. Hanzo hoped the two wouldn’t stay oblivious to everything that was going on, and with what was bound to happen. 


	2. Crushes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is day 2!

It’d been a tough couple of weeks; Genji had been trying to get back into the training, as much as he could do with his prosthetics, and nothing had been going well. Core training, his abs and shoulders, were the only things he could really do without relying on his metal appendages, but using them while he trained just hurt more. 

Genji cursed as the metal pinched his skin again as he took off his legs. He was glad that they were only the knee down, but it still hurt and took a bit of time to take them off. He’d just finished his training with Hanzo, since their masters were still in Japan, and he knew his brother was trying to help, but everything was just so hard. The doctors had said it would be difficult for large amounts of exercise while he grew, so he had another decade to be in pain while he kept himself healthy. He would still exercise, just less while his limbs needed to be adjusted to him. The entire idea made him upset, but then he remembered how the whole thing happened, and stopped worrying. He was still alive. Genji shook his head and placed the prosthetics in the drawer of his nightstand, then hefted himself onto the wheelchair he readied, and headed for the door. 

“Zen! I’m done!” Genji called down the hallway toward where his best friend had been staying with them for months now. This exchange had helped both of them, and had even brought them closer, which he had thought impossible. Zenyatta pushed his door open and wheeled himself out of his room. Both of them had prosthetics for their legs, but Zen didn’t like using his, something about them not helping him focus. Genji understood, but only slightly; if Genji didn’t use any of his prosthetics, he wouldn’t be able to do much on his own. 

“Are you ready to go?” Zen always asked this question, as if Genji was never ready no matter what he thought. The Nepali boy had a sweater Genji had picked out for him at a shop that had a hand doing the peace sign, and he couldn’t help but smile seeing him wear it. He hooks his head and laughed.

“More than ready, I was born for this.” Genji smirked and wheeled down the hallway toward the living room. Hanzo waited for them both, reading one of the books he needed to for school, keys next to him on the kitchen counter. Zen followed behind him and laughed as Genji burned his hands on the wheels, he’d forgotten his gloves. 

“Don’t hurt yourself more than you already have. The movie theater won’t run away.”

“I know that, pfft. Hanzo could you get my gloves from my room? I’ll help Zen into the car.” Hanzo handed the van keys to Genji before heading off back towards the hallway. Genji shook them by his face and laughed before the two of them headed out the front door. The silver van side doors opened automatically, and Genji made sure Zen’s chair was as close to the chair in the van as possible to let himself in. Zenyatta hefted himself up and plopped into the seat, holding his hand up to show he was alright. Genji nodded and wheeled himself over to the other door, copying his friend to get into his own chair. Hanzo came out a minute later and tossed Genji his gloves before taking the keys and locking the front door. 

“We’re picking Jesse up.” Hanzo folded the wheel chairs up in the back before sitting in the driver’s seat and starting the car. 

“Aw, I thought you were just dropping Zen and me off at the theater?” Not that Genji didn’t like Jesse, he was just excited to spend some time with his friend, away from everyone else he knew. It seemed that every time they went somewhere, every time they hung out, there was another of their family there or more friends and adults. Genji just wanted to spend some time alone, to just enjoy being with Zen after having traded emails and messages for two years. 

“We’re watching a different movie.” Genji raised an eyebrow before looking to Zen, who shared his same look of confusion, then back to his brother

“Are you watching that western thing with him?” Genji tried not to laugh at the idea. He knew that the two of them had different tastes in movies, but Hanzo put up with Jesse in that respect, which had definitely been an experience. 

“Yes.” Hanzo didn’t say anything else, and he didn’t have to. Genji laughed in the back seat, his hand on his chest as they drove down the road to pick up Hanzo’s boyfriend. 

It didn’t take long to get to the movie theater. Hanzo parked in the handicapped spot, and Jesse helped him get their chairs out and get them both down from the car. They all got to the ticket vendor, and Hanzo bought all their tickets and proceeded to the concession stand. Jesse pushed Genji along to help hold things, and Hanzo helped Zen and him get into their spots in the theater their movie was in before leaving for their own. What Genji hadn’t expected was for the theater to be completely empty. 

Genji stretched to look behind him, his left arm attachment digging into his shoulder blade as he tried to make sure no one else was there. It felt odd, but he guessed no one who liked musicals went this early, except for Zen. Genji took out his phone to silence it, and Zen folded his hands in his lap around their cup of Sprite.

“So, you’ve been waiting for this movie?” Truth be told, Genji didn’t know much about the movie they were about to see. He knew it was a big deal because their main character was supposed to be queer, but he wasn’t one for musicals himself. 

“Oh, yes. I’ve wanted to watch it for a while now. It’s supposed to be very good. I hope you like it.” The before movie trailers started just as Zenyatta finished speaking, and he smiled up at the screen as more movies were showcased, even though they weren’t to come out until next year. Genji nibbled on the popcorn, glancing to watch Zen’s face every so often. 

The movie finally started and Genji couldn’t help but feel nervous. He wanted the movie to be spectacular for Zen, it would be heartbreaking if it wasn’t, but all he could do was watch with him. The first number was jovial, it introduced the main character and most of the supporting characters, Genji didn’t pay too much attention to the screen, instead watching as Zen sat enraptured by the bright colors and fast paced cinematography. It was interesting to watch as they brought in more elements, and Genji swore he could see Zen’s chest swell during some of the more powerful music numbers, his eyes bright and shining, tears threatening to fall from sheer joy. 

Genji could only think of a few things that truly made Zenyatta this happy, though truth be told there were a lot of things that made him happy. It was weird to think about, to distinguish what could bring out such intense emotion, and Genji sat back, trying to think of something that could make him as happy as this made Zen. He thought back to his own experiences, trying to catch a moment when he’d been happy to tears, and the only moment he could think of was when he’d first seen Zenyatta in real life. Their first hug, their first meal and night together. The two of them hadn’t been able to sleep, they were too excited. Genji had spent the night in Zen’s room, the two of them just talking until they both fell asleep from pure exhaustion. 

That night, that night had made Genji truly happy. He blinked a few times, touching his hand to his face to see the metal fingers covered in a slight sheen. He was crying. He shook his head and looked to Zen again as the final number came onto the screen, smiling through his tears. Whatever had happened in the movie was lost to him, but Zen was crying too, tears streaming down his face as he watched. Zenyatta then did something Genji didn’t expect, he took his hand, holding it in both of his. Genji blinked before squeezing slightly, wishing he’d gotten the upgrade to feel the heat and the texture of his best friend’s hand. He smiled as the credits rolled, his eyes not leaving his friends face. 

Zenyatta wiped his tears away with his other hand before nodding and laughing. 

“That was wonderful, thank you for this, Genji. Thank you for everything.” Zenyatta let go of his hand as he pushed his chair away from the wall and towards the exit. Genji shook his head and quickly followed behind him, tossing their snacks into the trash bin. Hanzo and Jesse waited in the lobby for them, and Zenyatta excused himself to use the bathroom. Genji watched as he left then turned to Hanzo and Jesse. 

“Mighty tear-jerker it seems.” Jesse chuckled a bit, leaning against the wall. Genji raised an eyebrow before remembering the stinging in his own eyes and nodded, feeling blood rush to his cheeks. 

“What? Oh, yeah. Uh-” He paused, not really sure what he was about to say, and swallowed whatever was holding him back, “I think- I think I love Zen.”

The older Shimada didn’t react to the confession, nodding his head. Jesse’s smile widened to take up his whole face. 

“Well, I’ll be damned. Took you four months to tell?” Jesse laughed a bit and nodded his head toward the bathroom where Zenyatta was exiting. Genji gulped, his face radiating more heat than the sun as he looked onto his friend’s beaming face. He was in deep, he knew that for sure. 


	3. Proposal

Zenyatta sighed as he settled into his seat. As much as traveling had one amazed him, he couldn’t wait to get back to the Shimada’s house and rest. Their graduation the day before, or the same day now that they’d crossed the international date line, had taken everything out of him. His limbs were sore, but he didn’t want to take off his prosthetics on the plane. Genji was the same way, metal limbs keeping him afloat, but the green haired man now spoke to his brother in hushed Japanese about something Zenyatta couldn’t quite make out. It didn’t matter, the flight would only last an hour and then he could sleep. At least he thought he could. 

Several families were traveling to visit relatives, and one of those families had an infant traveling in her mother’s lap. Not even ten minutes into the flight and the baby began to cry. Zenyatta closed his eyes and then fished his headphones out of his carry on, pushing them in and playing the first thing on his phone. It didn’t calm his mind though, it only closed it in on him, to let him think of everything that had been happening the last few months. 

Going to university in Japan had been a big decision for both him and Genji, but it had ultimately worked, they had graduated! They were on their way home! But halfway through their last semester, Zenyatta couldn’t help but get a little suspicious of what Genji was doing. There had been too many rushed phone calls and messages hidden from him when he entered rooms. Genji seemed to be on the phone all the time, and only rarely with someone Zenyatta knew. It wasn’t like him to keep things from Zenyatta, they had been going out almost 6 years now, but something was coming, and Zen didn’t know what to think. How was he to approach this topic with Genji? That he thought there must be something going on behind his back? The very thought left Zenyatta moving constantly in his seat, unable to get comfortable. 

As they began their descent Zenyatta straightened his back, trying to remember where he had stored his luggage. He stowed his headphones and looked to Genji who was hastily replying to something on his phone. 

“Get ready, we’re about to land.” 

“What? Oh, thanks.” Genji smiled at him, his face flushed as he looked around and made sure his things were tidy. They hadn’t exactly had time to use anything, but Genji still seemed flustered with whatever he was reading on his phone. Zen tried to ignore it, he tried to make it some joke, maybe he was excited to see Jesse and Hanzo again, that had to be it. Still, something itched at the back of his brain that it wasn’t. 

As they landed the stewardess told them to stay seated until they came to a complete stop, and as they did, everyone reached for their luggage to be the first one off. Genji sat in the aisle seat and didn’t, waving for Zenyatta to do the same. 

“Let’s let the others rush, we’re in no hurry.” He smiled and looked back to the people who were departing. Zen nodded his head, this was fine. He wanted to sleep, to drink some hot tea and curl up with Genji in bed, but he didn’t know when that would happen if Genji kept delaying their arrival. 

It finally came to be their turn to get off the plane. Genji got his luggage from the overhead storage behind their seats, and Zen grabbed his from right above, leaving the plane first. The airport was cooler than the plane, a blast of air making him blink as he exited to see a group of people huddling around the exit. He blinked again as he began to recognize the faces, and the writing on the sign they all held. Zenyatta opened his mouth as he read over it again and tried to compute what it meant. The group of people held a large sign that read, “Zenyatta, will you marry me?”

As soon as Zen understood what was happening he turned around to find Genji, only to see him closer to the ground, kneeling with a box in his hands. Zenyatta covered his mouth and tried to take a breath, but his eyes stung as he realized what was truly happening. Genji smiled up at him, his own eyes watering.

“Zenyatta? Will you marry me?” He read the question off the sign, opening the box to reveal a simple gold band with a ruby inlaid in the middle. Nothing would leave his mouth, so Zenyatta quickly nodded his head, giving Genji his hand as his now fiance pushed the ring onto his finger then pulled him closer to kiss him. Warmth enveloped him as Genji’s arms wrapped around his middle and his lips cover Zenyatta’s own. He felt his tears slip between them and leaned back to look into Genji’s eyes, caressing his face. He finally gave a verbal answer. 

“Yes, yes I will.”


	4. New Hands

Zenyatta sat in his bedroom, biting his lip as he looked at the wall separating him and Genji. The green haired boy hadn’t left his room the entire day, his door was locked, and he wouldn’t speak to anyone. It was nearing dinner now, and Zenyatta hadn’t been able to focus on any of his schoolwork, most of which he had planned to work on with Genji. He tapped his pen on his desk, sighing before wheeling himself out of his room again and in front of Genji’s door. 

“Genji? Please talk to me.” There had been too much pleading, and Hanzo had given up hours ago about getting Genji out of his room. It wasn’t strange that the younger Shimada had secluded himself, but he’d been jovial and outgoing ever since Zenyatta had arrived during the late summer months. Zenyatta knocked on the door again, but no reply came. He leaned back in his chair, looking at the door and wishing he could do something. “I just want to help you.”

The hallway was vacant, all the doors save Zenyatta’s were closed, and no one seemed to want to help him try to reach his friend anymore. Truly they had been dating a little over a week now, but they hadn’t told anyone, and Zenyatta could only think that he had done something to cause this, but nothing came to mind. Hanzo exited his room as Zenyatta waited there and glanced between him and Genji’s door. 

“Has he still not come out?” Hanzo knocked on the door, but there was still no answer.

“No, and I don’t think he’s eaten all day.” Zenyatta sighed and folded his hands in his lap; what was he to do?

“I’ll get the key.” Hanzo turned from the door and started walking down the hallway. Zen blinked and hurriedly followed him, rolling his chair after him. 

“Key? What key?”

“There’s a key that opens all the rooms. We haven’t had to use it before, he’s usually out by dinner.” Hanzo entered the study that had presumably been his father’s, and Zen waited outside as he searched through the desk. He tossed the key to Zenyatta after he found it and then went back into his room, apparently not concerned that dinner was to be ready soon. Zen trembled as he rolled himself in front of Genji’s door again, conflicted with whether or not he should invade his privacy even to see if he was okay. What if Genji had fallen from his bed without his prosthetics again? There was no way he would be able to help himself, especially if he had hit his head. Zen fumbled with the key after thinking that and unlocked the door to see Genji watching something on his laptop.

Genji’s eyes looked sunken, as though he’d been awake too long, or had cried too hard. Zen wheeled himself closer, trying to catch his eyes, but if anything Genji avoided him. Zenyatta huffed and looked to see what he was watching only for it to be a cartoon.

“Why have you stayed in here all day? I’ve been worried. You didn’t answer me.” Zenyatta tried to suppress his anger, he was more worried than anything. Genji looked toward his window, trying almost to ignore Zen, but there was something wrong. That’s when Zenyatta noticed how red Genji’s eyes were, and the streaks down his face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Genji didn’t look to Zen until Zen rolled his chair closer and took his hand in his own. There was something wrong, and Zenyatta would help no matter what it took. “I’m fine.” 

“No, you’re not. Let me help you. It’s what I’m here for.” Zen squeezed and pulled on Genji’s  metal hand until the other boy looked to him. He’d definitely been crying for a better part of the day with how flushed his face was. 

“It’s just- I just realized something today.” He took a large breath and motioned to where they were holding hands. “I can’t feel that. I mean… I feel you pulling on it, but I don’t feel your hand. I never will.” 

Zenyatta blinked and looked to their hands again before he realized what Genji was saying. He’d locked himself in his room all day, had ignored every message and question from everyone, because he realized he wouldn’t be able to feel Zenyatta’s hand. He shook his head and moved his chair again, lifting himself up and onto the bed to lean into Genji. Zenyatta wrapped his arms around him, pressing his nose into his cheek, kissing him soundly until he was crying too. 

“It won’t matter, Genji. You have meant more to me these last two years than anything else, and I’m sure someday there will be something to let you feel again, but I like running my hands through your hair more anyway. Your hands are always cold.” Zenyatta smiled and kissed Genji again, arms wrapped around his neck as he leaned into him. The two cried and laughed, and moved to have Genji leaning his back into Zen’s chest, Zen’s hands running through his green hair s they continued to watch the cartoon Genji had been watching before, dinner forgotten for the moment. 

(around a decade later…)

Zenyatta hummed while he washed the dishes, scrubbing off last night’s dinner and placing them into the dish rack to dry. The new appartment smell no longer lingered, instead the sweet aroma of chai tea wafted through the small abode. The sun began to peek through the blinds, signaling the start of the day, and Zenyatta couldn’t be happier as he heard Genji fall over in the bedroom after having forgotten to put on his legs again. It was a cycle for them, Genji sleeping in while Zenyatta stretched and did small cleaning, in turn Genji cooked most of the time, and dusted and vacuumed, it had also become a habit for Genji to forget he didn’t have his own legs anymore. 

Zenyatta walked in on his own prosthetics, drying his hands with a towel before helping Genji back into bed to help him put his legs on. Genji’s pastel green hair stuck up this way and that, trully a marker for having slept well, and his eyes stayed crusted shut as he yawned. 

“Thanks, Zen. I can’t believe I keep forgetting.” He ran his hand through his hair and yawned again, covering his mouth as he did. 

“You’re merely tired, I wouldn’t think too much into it.” Zenyatta had gotten used to it, had made a habit of putting his new legs on in the morning. His new prosthetics weren’t nearly as painful as the ones he grew up with, and he thanked Genji for that, who’d showed him the same place he got his own limbs. 

“What time is it?”

“It’s about 8 in the morning.” With that, the prosthetics were on, and Genji stretched as he stepped onto his feet. 

“Wait, 8? Shit!” Genji darted to the closet and started pulling out clothes and putting them on. Zenyatta stayed on the bed, watching him run around, almost tripping a few times over his own feet. 

“You do realize it is Saturday, correct? Your classes do not meet today.”

“I know, I know. I have an appointment that I can’t miss though.”

“You seem to be having a lot of appointments recently? Is there something wrong?” Zenyatta stood from the bed and opened the door to let them both out, walking to the kitchen where Genji busied himself with putting toast in the toaster while starting the kettle again to make tea. Zenyatta didn’t question Genji making appointments with his students on the weekend, especially as they neared the end of the semester, but it was odd that he would allow so many to make meetings with him when campus was closed. 

“No, nothing’s wrong. I’ve just been meeting with my- with my doctor.”

“How is Angela doing by the way?” 

“What? Oh, she’s fine. Her and Fareeha got married a few months ago, did you know that?” Genji tried to smile, but he still looked rushed, and Zenyatta couldn’t help but feel amused by everything. Something had to be happening for him to be this strange. 

“I know, we were both there.”

“Right. Well, I have to go, I’ll be back tonight. Don’t start making dinner without me!” Genji grabbed the toast and stuck it in his mouth while he filled his travel mug with the boiling water, running for the door after grabbing his wallet and keys on the stand next to it. Zenyatta laughed as he locked the door behind his love and went back into the kitchen, continuing with his chores.

The rest of Saturday went by rather quickly. Zenyatta had a few clients come in for physical therapy sessions after particularly rough hikes. He did his best to relax the muscles they needed and told them plenty of rest would help them recover faster from any injury they might have sustained. Nothing was too difficult, his more regular appointments were during the week anyway. 

Dinner time came, and Zenyatta glanced to the clock and back to the door. He’d already cleaned and readied the kitchen to make dinner, that was something Genji and him did together on the weekends, but it was nearing 7 and Zen didn’t know how much longer he could wait. Just as he was about to begin cooking, as he tied his apron around his waist, he heard the door open to the apartment. He turned to see Genji standing, slipping his shoes off by the door as he took his coat off. Zen smiled and held his arms open to welcome him home and Genji came to him, his hands cupping Zen’s face. Zenyatta jumped when the cool metal touched his cheek, not prepared for the different texture. 

He took Genji’s hands in his own and looked over the new prosthetics his husband brought home, then looked up to see tears streaming down his face. 

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Zenyatta began to worry, keeping Genji’s hands clasped in his own as he looked over his husband’s face. 

“Nothing.” Genji wiped his tears away with his shoulder and laughed. “I’ve been going to see my prosthetist. Some new designs came out and, Zen, these let me feel again.” 

“What-” Zenyatta looked down to their hands as Genji slowly rubbed his thumb over his. Zenyatta felt his eyes start to sting as he realized what this meant. He looked back up and shook his head, wiping his own tears away. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I love you, so much.” Genji kept one hand holding Zen’s, the other cupping his face again, rubbing a thumb over his cheekbone before leaning in to kiss him. The metal, knowing what it could now do, comforted Zenyatta, and he couldn’t help but laugh as Genji kissed him again and again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed these! I'm working on the next chapter of the master fic slowly and surely and hope to have the chapter up by the end of next week! Thank you for reading!


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